Method for building sheet pile walls

Abstract

A method for building a sheet pile wall includes providing a first sheet pile having a leading sheet pile interlock with an interlock chamber, driving the first sheet pile into the ground while protecting the interlock chamber from ground material and providing a second sheet pile having a trailing sheet pile interlock with an interlock head. The method further includes coating a fixing agent as a surface layer on the interlock head of the trailing sheet pile interlock, engaging the coated interlock head of the trailing sheet pile interlock in the interlock chamber of the leading sheet pile interlock and driving the second sheet pile into the ground so that the trailing sheet pile interlock interlocks with the leading sheet pile interlock.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates to a method for building sheet pile walls.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]The use of sheet piles for building retaining walls is well known. The sheet piles used in such walls have sheet pile interlocks along their longitudinal edges, which can be interlocked so as to maintain the longitudinal edges of adjacent sheet piles interconnected with each other. Current sheet pile interlocks of the double-hook interlock type (type 1 according to EN10248 norm), as e.g. LARSSEN type sheet pile interlocks, are hook shaped elements with an internal interlock chamber. A sheet pile wall is formed by driving a first sheet pile into the ground, introducing the bottom end of the trailing sheet pile interlock of a second sheet pile with the top end of the leading sheet pile interlock of the first sheet pile, driving the second sheet pile into the ground, and then repeating the process to insert third, fourth etc sheet piles into the wall.[000...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

Ensures reliable bond conditions by maintaining clean contact surfaces, allowing the use of adhesives with shorter curing times and viscous consistency, and preventing adhesive loss during the interlocking process.

Problems solved by technology

A major drawback of this method is that the adhesive in the interlock chamber will make the withdrawal of the caliber piece more difficult.

Furthermore, an adhesive with a long curing time must be used, as the adhesive must not be allowed to set until the next sheet pile is driven into the ground.

A major drawback of this second method is that a very fluid adhesive must be used, because it has to be injected through a long pipe into the interlock chamber.

It is however impossible to warrant a homogeneous distribution of such a fluid adhesive in a vertical interlock chamber, which is subjected to impacts and vibrations during the ramming process of the next sheet pile.

However, when the caliber piece is withdrawn, ground material inevitably mixes with the uncured adhesive, thereby impairing the bond conditions.

A further drawback of the above methods is that the interlock head of the trailing sheet pile interlock engaging the interlock chamber of the leading sheet pile interlock progressively acts upon the adhesive in the interlock chamber as a kind of percussive expulsion piston pushing most of the adhesive out of the interlock chamber.

In other words, most of the adhesive injected into the interlock chamber is lost in the surrounding ground.

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